Instrument for positioning lenses.



B. F. CLARK. INSTRUMENT FOB POSITIONING LENSES.

APPLIOATIO! FILED .TUNE 3, 190B.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

30 37 l Iwzfeaeor.

3mm l'. GLABK, 0F GENEVA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 THE STANDARD OPTICAL GOMPAN'Y, 0F GENEVA, NEW YORK, A COBPOBLTIDN OF NEW YORK.

INSTRUMENT FOB POSITIONING LENBES.

944,846. inclination e! letter# kunt Patented Dec. 28, 1909. Application Bled Jane 8, 1908. Serial No. 436,448.

To all whom 'it may concern: Thea intermediate portion of the spindle Be it known that I, BENNETT F. CLARK, of -1- 1s surrounded by a sleeve 8 which Geneva, in the county of Ontario, in the is journaled directly in the bearings 4i- State of New York, have invented new and and contains a coil ring -9- by which 6 useful Im rovements in Instruments for Pothe spindle -1- is orced endwise toward so sitioning usesI of which the following, the spindle -2- to clamp the lenses as taken in connection with the accompanymg ab etween the clampin heads -5-. and drawings, is a full, clear, and exact descrip- -6-, 1t being understoo that the spindle tion. 1 may be moved by hand against the 10 This invention relates to an instrument action of the springj 9 to draw the head o5 for positioning lenses in edge grinding ma- 5 away from t e head -6- when it is chines b which one or more lenses may be desired to release the lenses from between held an readily placed between the clampthe clampin heads. ing heads of a. rotary lens holder with thelr Thespm e --2- is rovided at its inner optical axes in registration with each other end with an annular a utment -10- hav 7o and with the corresponding axis of the lens ing a center plu 11- and an eccentric piu pattern or form, 1Q- whic 1n this instance project in 'Ihe optical axes of the lens blanks which wardl from the annular abutment -10- are to be ound to a, certain size and form and orm suitable supports for receiving 2o are usna lgnindicated thereon by suitable and locking a lens attern or form -13- to 75 marks or es while the master pattern or the adjacent end o the spindle -2. This lens-form which is coaxial and rotates with lens pattern or form -13- is provided the lens holders is also provided with some with a .central and eccentric apertures cormeans for indicating a correspond' axis responding to and receiving the pins -11 whereby the lenses may be properly a justed an -12 which enables said lens pattern 80 in the grinding machine with their optical to be readily placed upon or removed from axes in substantially the same axial plane as the spindleI -2- and when placed in o erthe corresponding axis of the lens-form. ahve osxtion is brought avanst the a ut- My object., therefore, is to provide a simti s oulder 10 und iselocked to rotate ple and practicable instrument in which the wit the spindle by means of the eccentric 85 enses to be ground may be quickly and pm -12-. easily alined with re ect to their optical The pins -11- and -12- protrude or axes and by which suc lenses ma he exproject some distance beyond the inner face peditiousl and accurately pla in the of thel lens form or pattern -13 when the edge grin ing machine in proper relation to latter 1s against the abutment 10- for re- 90 the pattern or form. ceivmg the clamping head -6- and lock- Other objects and uses relatin to s ecitic ing the same to the spindle m9,-, the udarts of the instrument will be lroug t out jacent face of said clamping head which is m the following description. coaxial with the spindles -1 and M2- In the drawings-F1 re l is a sectional being provided with central and eccentric 95 view of the machine. "ig. 2 is an enlarged apertures or sockets for receiving the pins or sectioualview ot the detached instrument as studs -1l and N12- seen in Fig. 1.. Fig. 3 is' a side elevation of It xs now clear that the leus form or pntthc same. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views tern T13- and clnmpin head -G are 46 token respectively on lines 44, Fig. 2 and successlvely placed u on tic spindles 1l-- 100 5.-5, Fig. 3. and l2- and there y locked to rotate with In Fi 1 l have shown a portion of nu the spindle -2-5 the Iene form or pattern edge grinding machine for lenses in which -l2l uhuts against the abutment -10- u puir of coaxial rotary spindles 1- and while the adjacent end of tho clampiu v head -2 arc rotntin 'ly mounted in suitable liubuts against the inner foco of t 1c lens 105 bearings mu --4-- and provided at pattern und although these parte may be their meeting ends with suitnb o clamping readily removed by hand cudwiso from tho heads and -(l forming u rotary pins -llnml w12, they are luld in lens holder, said spindles being rotated at operativo position by tlm pressure of tho 5b tho same rate of speed by geors--7--. lenses against. tho inner face ot the lll-ud llU lil through the medium of the head -5- and s ring -9-, it being understood that the a jacent face of the clam in heads -5 and 6 are provided wi t s usual contact face, as rubber, for revcnting in ury to the lenses and frictions. ly holding t .em in operative position during the grinding operation.

The removability of the clamping head G- is an important feature of my invention in that it forms a part of the lens alinmg instrument which I will now proceed to describe. This instrument consists essentially of the clamping head 6- and opposed plates or clamps l5- and i6- which are adjustabl connected and are movable toward and rom each other and to ether constitute a clamp between which the enses may be held. The clamping ends of the plates --15- and -16- are similar in form, each being provided with a pair of diverging arms 20H terminating some distance apart sulicient to forni a clear open space of less width than the longest diameter of the lens but of slightly eater width than the diam eters of the hea/di` -5- and -6- which are adapted to enter between said arms in a manner hereinafter. described. The clamiing plate 16- is provided with a pair o lat erally projectin studs or guide arms -17- and 1S- whi e the clamping plate -15- is provided with a pair of corresponding apertures or ways t9- which receive the laterally projecting ends of the studs or arms -land 1B- thereby connectin and locking the clamping plates against re ative ondwise movement and at the same time tpermitting them'to be ad'usted toward and rom each other, the gui e rod 18 being provided at its outer end with a limiting sto or shoulder -21 which prevents undue f isphicement of the clamping plates one from the other. The portion of the plate M15- between the aperture 1.9- and guide rods -18 is provided with an elongated socket or opening -22-, the outer end of which is closed by a cap -23 having an inwardly or laterallv projecting spindla --0 which extends t rough the socket B2-- and through a corresponding aperture -25- in the plate -16- to nrther guide said plates in their adjustment toward and from cach other, the head -23 being secured by a close lit in the outer end of the sockel.. -22. These clamping plates are normally forced apart by a coil spring -26 which surrounds the intermediate portion of the spindle 24 with one end abutting against the cap -23 and its other end ulintlln f against tho inner face of the clamping p alc -llithereby exerting n tension tcndiu to turco said plates apart until checked y limiting stop 2l or locked in their adjusted position b a set screw il?A which is engaged in a tircadod aperture in the plate 15 and is movable into and out oi engagement with the adjacent stud or guide arm -17- as best seen in Fig. 2. The arms 20- extend some distance beyond the outermost guide rod or spindle -l8- leaving a free open space between said arms for the reception of the lenses as -a-. The axes of the s indles -17-, -18- and Q4- are locate( one in advance of the other in the same plane and the arms -20- diverge symmetrically therefrom so that the outer ends of the arms are paced apart equi-distant from the longitu lnal center or axis of the clamping device with the marginal edges of the lens blanks when in operative position between the clamping plates -15- and I6- 'llic o tical axes of the lenses are usuali indicate thereon by marks at opposite cn s thereof and in placing the lenses 1n the alining instrument or between the lates 15- and -16-, these marks are rought into registration with each other and with sight openings B0- the latter serving as a visnal means by which the o tical axes of the lenses may be registered with each other and also brought into proper relation with the lens-form or pattern -13-.

In order that the pro r positioning of the lenses relatively to tlie ens attem or form may be rendered more expe itious and certain, the clam ing plate 16- is provided at o posite si es of its axis with rotruding sta s -35- and the clamping lead -6- is provided with a flange 3B- having 1m, apertures -37- corresponding to and receiving the protruding ends of the studs fk5- When the clamping head is locked to the spindle -2- by the eccentric pin -l'2-, the apertures -37- for receiving |07, thesinds 35 are disposed in the same diainetrical plane as the long axis of the lens form or pattern -13- corresponding to the optical axis of the lenses.

Now when it is desired to place the lenses 1 la in the lens holder of the edge grinding im chine with their opt-ical axes in rcgislralion with each other and in the saine diaulelzrical plane as the axis of the lens pattern or form, the lens clamps are first allowed to Hs. open b the spring 2G- which is accomp isher by simply loosening the set screw --27 whereupon the clamping head -6 is placed in operative position upon the clamping plate -16-- as seen in Fig. 2 |30 with the flange -36- abutting a inst the inner face of the arms -QO- an the pins or studs 3.5-- enlcring the apertures-37- whilo the hub of the clampin head li-- projects outwardly between sind arms. As 13s many lenses as it may bc desired to grind at once are now pl accd ietwecn the amis u5&0 of the clamping plate -lfr and inner face ol' the clam ing head --l'i on llio plate --'llland tlicse lenses are then adjusted by lau hand to bring the marks indieatin their optical axes into registration with eac other and with the sight openings -30-- whereupon the plates are pressed toward each other against the action of the s ring -26 until the lenses are firmly held tween the arias -20 of the clamping plate -15- and inner face of the clamping head -6- on the plate 16 and then the set screw is tightened to hold the clamping plates in their adjusted position against tlie action of the sprii1g-2G-- The lenses are now arranged with their o tical axes in exact re tration with each ot ier and in the same diametrical plane as the pins or studs -35- and in order to bring them into proper position in the edge 'inding machine, the head -5- is forced aick by hand against the action of the sprin -9- sut'ciently to allow the lenses wit 1 the clamping head -6- to be laced between the clamping head -5- and inner ends of the spind es -1 and J2- whereupon the spindle -2- is adjusted b y rotation, if necessary, to bring its eccentric pin -12- into registration with the corres )ending eccentric socket in the adjacent em` of the clamping head 6--, at the saine time registering the cent-ral socket of said clam ing head with the ad`acent end of the spin le -11-, after whic i the alining instrument. with the lenses therein is moved laterally to cause the pins 11 and 4.2- to enter their respective sockets thereby locking the clam ing head and the spindle -2- an at the same time the clamping head -5 is released to allow the sprin -9- to force it between the arms 20- o the clamping head 15- and against the adjacent lenses. Now by loosening the set screw 2i-e, the spring 2G- operates to separate the plates -15- and -16- thereby disengaging the ins -35- from the apertures -37 an clamping head and allowing both clamping plates -1- and -16- to be withdrawn radially from both clamping heads -5- and the lenses lit-ing then in position for grinding.

ly providing two or more clamping heads it is evi eut that dui-ing the operation of grinding one set of lenses, one or more other sets may be adjusted in the alining instrument and uickly placed in operative position in the e ge grinding machine when the previouslyv inserted lenses are ground to the desired size and form and removed.

That I claim is:

1. In combination with a rotar lens attern and a coaxial clamping hea of a ens hiding machine, and a lens clam including a removable clamping head a a ted to be placed with the lenses between t e first named clamping head and lens attern, and means for locking the removabe clamping head tc rotate with the lens pattern, the remaining portion of the clampin device being separable from the removab e clamping head when the latter is placed in the machine, said device having sight openings by which the optical axes of the lenses may alined with each other.

9.. In combination with coaxial spindles of an edge grinding machine for lenses, a lens pattern locked to one of the spindles to rotate therewith, a removable lens clam ing head also locked to rotate with one o the spindles, clamping plates movable toward and from each other for reoeivi between them the lenses, one of said p ates and clanipin head having interlocking members detachab interlocked with each other, one of said p ates having means with which the marks on the lenses indicating the optical axes may be registered.

3. In combination with the rotary lens pattern and lens clam ing head of an edge grinding machine, a ens clampin device iaving means with which the optical axes of the lenses may be registered, said clamping device huvmv' a removable clamping member transferalblc to the grinding machine to constitute the other lens clamping head thereof, and means for holding the transferred head in fixed position relatively to the pattern.

In witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand this 28th dav of May i908.

BENNE l`T F. CLARK.

Witnesses:

Cuantas H. ANNAN, C. B. Roenes. 

